Conservative Media’s Lack Of Empathy For Bowe Bergdahl And His Family Is Sickening [View all]

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What a country!

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/06/04/conservative-medias-lack-empathy-bowe-bergdahl-family-sickening.html

Conservative Media’s Lack Of Empathy For Bowe Bergdahl And His Family Is Sickening
By: Justin Baragona
Wednesday, June, 4th, 2014, 4:46 pm


On Saturday, the President of the United States announced that the last American prisoner of war, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, had been released by the Taliban after nearly five years in captivity. The announcement was made in the Rose Garden and the President was joined by Bergdahl’s parents. However, by Wednesday, what should have been an uplifting story about the United States not giving up hope on retrieving every last soldier imprisoned by enemy combatants had been twisted into a dark tale of deception, desertion, treason and appeasement of terrorists. Republicans in Washington and the right-wing media decided to push all-in by claiming the President had negotiated with terrorists and endangered the nation’s security in order to save an anti-American deserter who deserved to be held as a prisoner indefinitely by the Taliban.

While the President is sadly used to this type of behavior from the right, it is highly doubtful that Bergdahl and his family was prepared to be such a huge target of disdain and scrutiny. The Bergdahls have had to deal with the awful reality of their son being held captive by the Taliban for nearly five years, not knowing if they’d ever get to see him again. Instead of being allowed to feel joy in the knowledge that their son will be returning home soon, they’ve had to endure numerous taunts from media figures, who have stated that Sgt. Bergdahl’s father, Bob Bergdahl, looks like a Muslim and a member of the Taliban, and have complained about comments he’s made.

For the right-wing media, nothing is off-limits when it comes to discrediting the President and finding any way possible to tie him to a scandal in order to run him out of the White House. Everything is fair game. Therefore, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and his parents are going to be subjected to this scorched earth campaign, where Bergdahl is going to be called a traitor, a deserter and a treasonous anti-American who sought out and collaborated with the Taliban. At the same time, his father is going to be labeled a terrorist sympathizer who wants to join his son as a member of the Taliban. All of this is just an inroads to smear President Obama. If conservatives are able to get any traction with these despicable tactics, they will continue. However, if they sense that the general public isn’t buying this latest made-up scandal, they will move on. But there will be no apology for the damage done from their actions.

It isn’t just the normal mudslingers that we are used to, either. Sure, far-right websites like Breitbart, National Review Online, The Drudge Report, Daily Caller and WND have all published dozens of articles and blogs tearing apart Bergdahl on a personal level. And, of course, Fox News has spent hours of airtime allowing guests and contributors to prattle on about whether or not Bergdahl deserved to be rescued and if we should have just left him with the Taliban. However, mainstream media outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post have allowed emotionally charged screeds to be published, while MSNBC has treated the story like Hollywood celeb gossip. An example of this type of coverage was exhibited on Wednesday’s episode of Morning Joe.

Whatever questions there are about Bergdahl’s service, his potential desertion of his post and the actions taken that lead to his capture will be dealt with by the Army. The fact is, he was an active member of the service who was held prisoner by the enemy. It was this nation’s duty to get him back, regardless of his personal politics or feelings towards his country or service. Constantly disparaging and denigrating him and his family only piles on to the ordeal that all of them have had to deal with these past five years. This man was held captive by enemy combatants. His parents spent day after day, month after month, year after year wondering if he’d ever make his way back home. Now that he’s been rescued, all of them are subjected to even more anguish brought on by pundits and politicians, who are only looking to rile up Obama-haters ahead of the midterm elections.